There's no cholera outbreak in SA, Health Minister Phaahla assures nation

JOHANNESBURG - Health Minister Joe Phaahla has assured residents that there is no cholera outbreak in the country despite five new cases of the bacterial infection being recorded in Limpopo.

Phaahla confirmed that the department was also monitoring 46 suspected cases of the infection at a media briefing on Monday. 

Three of the cases were imported from Zimbabwe, which is currently battling a cholera outbreak that has killed at least 300 people. 

The health minister said that two of the five cholera cases were siblings from Limpopo who had no travel history. 

He said that the rest of the patients were also from the same municipality in the province.

The minister said that contact tracing was currently being carried out.

"We are working with the province to identify and trace contacts in the families and also with the envinromental health practicioners so we can find the source."

Last year, 47 people were killed by cholera in the country after an outbreak hit Hammanskraal in the city of Tshwane.

Phaahla said there was no need for panic, as the numbers did not indicate that there was another outbreak.